The Jaguars head into Thursday night with a chance to stack wins in a hurry, but the path to beating Baltimore is going to be about discipline, not assumptions.
Jacksonville comes off a Week 8 win over the Indianapolis Colts and now turns around on a short week for a Week 9 matchup with the Ravens. Baltimore’s quarterback situation has been gutted, with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both on injured reserve, and the Ravens are set to start an undrafted rookie making his first NFL appearance. That setup may look favorable on paper, but the Jaguars can’t treat it like a formality.
The biggest defensive job starts up front: stop Derrick Henry. With Baltimore likely leaning hard on the run game, Henry becomes the centerpiece of the plan.
He has 632 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season, and Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter has already said the ground game will be a major part of the offense Thursday. Jacksonville has been excellent against the run, giving up a league-low 77.4 rushing yards per game, but the season-ending loss of defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton makes this a tougher assignment.
The Jaguars need to hold their gaps, tackle cleanly and keep Henry from turning early-down carries into a steady march.
Then there’s the rookie quarterback, Joe Fagnano, who is walking into his first NFL start. He went 10 of 21 for 91 yards with one interception and three sacks against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Jacksonville should make that kind of night feel even longer. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has the tools to do it with disguised coverages and different pressure looks, and the Jaguars showed what that can look like against Indianapolis, when they piled up four sacks and forced three turnovers.
The trick is pressure without recklessness, especially with a receiver like Zay Flowers able to punish mistakes.
On offense, the Jaguars need the same balance they showed against the Colts. Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes in that game, and the run game produced a season-high 183 yards.
Bhayshul Tuten led the way with 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. added 41 yards and another score. But both backs are dealing with injury questions, with Tuten missing practice all week because of an ankle/foot issue and Rodriguez limited by a hand injury.
Whoever is available, Jacksonville has to keep the ground game involved. That keeps Lawrence in rhythm, opens up play-action and keeps Baltimore from loading up against the pass.
A fast start would make everything easier. Baltimore is likely to lean on Henry and the run game to help its inexperienced quarterback, so if Jacksonville jumps ahead early, it can force the Ravens away from that comfort zone.
The Jaguars need to turn early drives into touchdowns, not field goals, and Lawrence has been sharp enough to help that happen, with 17 touchdown passes and only four interceptions this season. If Baltimore has to chase the game, the pressure shifts right where Jacksonville wants it.
And above all, the Jaguars have to clean up the self-inflicted stuff. They were penalized eight times for 65 yards against Indianapolis, and on a short week, those mistakes can get expensive fast.
Protecting the football matters just as much. Baltimore may be shorthanded, but that doesn’t mean it will hand over extra chances.
If Jacksonville keeps the flags down, avoids turnovers and plays clean on both sides, it should put itself in position to earn its sixth win.
In Other News...
Jaguars Trade Buzz Just Raised One Huge Question About Their 2026 Push
The Jaguars long-term push is already taking shape in the background, and the latest trade chatter only adds to the sense that Jacksonville is thinking bigger than the current season. Reports have linked the team to a possible move for Philadelphia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Carolinas Derrick Brown, two names that immediately signal how aggressively the front office may be trying to reshape the middle of the defense for the years ahead.
Carters recent four-year extension with the Eagles makes any pursuit feel complicated from the start, while Brown has been active this season and has continued to flash the kind of production that would draw attention from teams looking to fortify their front line. For Jacksonville, the question is less about whether the talent fits and more about how far the club is willing to go to accelerate its 2026 plans, especially with the Eagles dealing with their own struggles and the market for impact defenders never staying quiet for long. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Quarterback Chaos Just Changed Everything For The Jaguars
The Ravens quarterback room has gone from stable to scrambled just days before Thursdays matchup with the Jaguars. Lamar Jackson is dealing with a thumb injury, Tyler Huntleys toe injury is season-ending, and Baltimore has had to scramble for help by adding Kaden Slovis and Austin Reed to the depth chart.
For Jacksonville, the ripple effect is obvious: a game that once looked like a familiar AFC test may now feature an undrafted rookie, Joe Fagnano, in line to start if the Ravens have to go that direction. It changes the feel of the week for the Jaguars, who suddenly have a very different opponent to prepare for and a lot more uncertainty to sort through before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Lawrence Faces A Ravens Test That Could Shift Jacksonvilles Season
Trevor Lawrence heads into a short week with another chance to show how far the Jaguars have come under pressure. Jacksonvilles offense has leaned on his efficiency this season, and the matchup with Baltimore on Thursday night brings a familiar kind of test: a defense that can disrupt timing, force quick decisions and make every clean pocket feel earned. The Ravens also present the kind of front that can turn a solid game plan into a scramble if the protection slips even a little.
There are other pieces in play for Jacksonville beyond Lawrence, starting with how the running back room holds up on a short turnaround and whether Bhayshul Tuten is available. Up front, the Jaguars will also be watching Josh Hines-Allens battle with Ronnie Stanley, a matchup that could help determine whether Lawrence gets the kind of rhythm he has enjoyed so often this year. For a team trying to measure itself against a contender, this is the sort of game that can reveal a lot without necessarily settling everything. [Read more 🡒]